The makeup, hair, dress, shoes and earrings: Love it all. She nailed it, we’d say. We love how that shade of yellow has a warm tone to it, which looks great with her coloring. We also love how ridiculously plain this dress is. Simple neckline and shape, hem hitting right at the knee. The interest all comes from the color and the embellishment, which stops just on the right side of being too much. We’d have loved a bangle or cuff.

As much as I enjoy looking at people dolled up in fancy clothes, shoes & accessories, I avoid knowing what it costs. For my mental health it’s Best Not To Know.

https://twitter.com/Gayer_Than_Thou Gayer Than Thou

Pfft! Is that all? Just walking around money, as far as I’m concerned.

3boysful

Dang it! I had already fallen in love with them.

MsKitty

Gorgeous

http://dontmakeitlikeimdumb.blogspot.com/ annabelle archer

Wow! This is one of the beautifully done red carpet moments that is also wholly doable in real life, by non stars. Though, it will help if those non stars also share her coloring. The contrast is striking and so warm. Just gorgeous!!

SewingSiren

She hit the nail on the head this time. I love the color, the silhouette , and the beading. But most of all I love the hair.

gabbilevy

Between Viola and Lupita, we may finally have the beginning of something on the natural hair front. As a curly myself (who shops in the natural hair section of the drug store), this warms my heart.

bitchybitchybitchy

I was just thinking the same thing-I love her when she goes with her natural hair.Viola is gorgeous,and in these photos she looks stunning and confident. Bowing.

ashtangajunkie

She looks like a million. I absolutely love that dress. On Viola Davis, but also on me.

Tatiana Luján

Gorgeous. I wonder why she thinks that shimmer is flattering.

MilaXX

In person the bronzer gives off a warm glow and isn’t really noticeable, however like certain face powders under high definition cameras, the reflective particles “bounce back” off the flash and it makes her arms look ashy.

Kimbolina

I’m surprised stylists/makeup artists don’t dress stars more for the camera than in person. Far more people will be seeing photos from an event than actually attending it. Wouldn’t it make more sense to ensure that celebs look good in the pictures?

MilaXX

Tough call. There are loads of people in attendance who will be critiquing the look as well. I think MUA are mostly styling for venue.

MoHub

And this isn’t a WERQ because …?

boweryboy

Maybe it’s too plain?

crash1212

This wasn’t a WERQ due to excess arm shimmer?

Susan

Love, love, love her hair. Also the dress, etc., but so glad to see her gorgeous hair!

Diego!

She looks amazing! <3

MilaXX

Love this look and covet those earrings.

boweryboy

She looks good, but a bit under dressed for the occasion. My initial thoughts were how simple and basic this is. I would consider this more of a luncheon dress than an awards dress.

sk8tfan

Fab! I love the embellishments at the sides, which emphasize her curves and are more flattering than those silly cutouts that are all the thing right now.

Introspective

beautiful. a knockout. happy she’s rocking the fro and the color is lovely with her skin. lupita and viola are ushering in a moment where dark skinned actresses are shining on the RC. and Im loving it.

MaggieMae

Go Team Natural Hair!

mmebam

I want that dress.

NMMagpie

All kinds of fabulous.

sagecreek

SO GORGEOUS. Plus, she looks like she’d be fun to hang out with. I just love her.

Jessica Freeman

Girl does not need any bit of shimmer from a bottle…she RADIATES.

Chickadeep

Love, love, love that she lets her natural hair do its thing. She looks perfectly polished and all kinds of fabulous.

mjude

a mini bow down. love her

marlie

I like this! I love that the ladies of color are bringing the color to the runway, considering we’ve been in a sea of mostly black clothes for the last couple of weeks.

Charmella…a DIVA at large!

Stunning!…and I want a dozen tubes of that lipstick!

JauntyJohn

Dynamite.

teensmom99

So can only women of color wear yellow? And I need those earrings and I am not an earring person. And I guess I need the dress in a jewel tone that would be more flattering on my pale skin!

KinoEye

I think most of the time, yellow is a lot more flattering on women of color — I’m pale as they come, so yellow is usually not my friend, much as I love it. But Julianne Moore looked lovely in that yellow dress she had on the other week. You never know til you try it out, I guess!

Danielle

God I love her natural hair. She was WERQing it on Ellen this week!

formerlyAnon

She’s edging into that territory where I just *expect* an excellent look from her, and will shortly start to take it for granted. Not there yet, but heading there.

Lilithcat

Fabulous. Especially the earrings! Which would be mine if they didn’t cost $16,000.

Nancer

I know! They are beautiful. And I am so happy to see a star wearing dangle earrings.

Zaftiguana

God damn, she looks amazing.

conniemd

What a gorgeous, gorgeous yellow orangy color on her.

Erica Woods Tucker

So love her! But I agree on the shimmer. It’s making her skin look a little dry and ashy.

LJCdoc

GOR-jus!

Nancer

J’adore.

imakeart

Fabulous! Love it all, but especially the earrings.

Tracy_Flick

She and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are drinking the same virgin blood, or have portraits growing old in an attic somewhere. Amazingly gorgeous and sexy.

fungstyle

Maybe it’s just that they were both in yellow in their most recent posts, but I feel like she and Lupita could be cast as Mother/Daughter.

Joanna

I literally gasped when I saw this. Anyone who can wear this color SHOULD, and Miss Davis CAN.

LaSylphide

Glorious. And those earrings!!!

KinoEye

She and Lupita are giving me life today. Love the hair, dress, earrings, and her in general.

http://www.ellenciompi.com/ NurseEllen

Love the color and her, but it seems a tad tight across the middle. Minor cavil, though. She really looks great!

ThaliaMenninger

LOVE!

BrooklynBomber

Wow. I only wish it wasn’t pulling under the bust and at the hips, but she looks so good that those things seem minor.

D J H

I’m trying to think of an instance where shimmer looks attractive on a dark-skinned woman. Seems like the shimmer has a silver/white undertone that doesn’t work. Maybe there is gold/bronze/copper shimmer for women of color?

YousmelllikeAnnaWintour

WERQ.

willworktomorrow

That’s a WERQ in my book.

Donyelle

It’s not added shimmer. When you moisturize brown skin, it glistens in strobe light.

CKMia

^ Mademoiselle Donyelle be knowin’.

JDreesen

WHERE HAVE ALL THE CLUTCHES GONE?!

sorry. having a moment. just need to know that the Tic-Tacs and the Carefree-to-Goes are being cared for properly while all these step and repeats are being stepped and repeated.

Trickytrisha

That is one hell of a flattering dress. On the right woman. She’s the right woman. Madly gorgeous.